The Key – Autumn 2006
Editors Comments
I hope you all had a good summer, what a mixture of weather we have had with several weeks of very hot humid days in June and July followed by a fairly wet August. Every good day we have in September is a bonus. This year we were fortunate to holiday in Cornwall at the end of July (when we had that heatwave)so had fantastic weather every day. We stayed in a static caravan on a site near St Austell. This caravan was adapted for people with disabilities, having wide doors, a shower seat and handrails and is owned by the Scouting Association who have several caravans on sites dotted around the UK. It made our holiday very much easier and enjoyable, for further information telephone.
As Laura and Jack have been on holiday from school, we have had several days out as a family that I thought I would share with you. Firstly, we went to West Midlands Safari Park near Kidderminster, if you like animals this is a must. You can drive through the park, stopping if you wish to take photographs, and in many areas, stroking and feeding various animals that may choose to come to your vehicle and put their heads through the window!
The Discovery Zone is home to the Creepy Crawlies, Seaquarium and Twilight Cave exhibits, which combined with the nearby Seal Island and Reptile House makes for a fun-filled area. Everywhere is wheelchair friendly, with disabled loos and plenty of places to grab a snack and drink.
A very good place to eat locally is the Badgers Sett at Cropston. Here they serve food all day, everywhere is accessible and I can personally recommend the meals! Why not combine an afternoon in Bradgate Park with a great meal out as the two places are about 2 miles apart.
I can also recommend The Griffin at Swithland. Gordon and I went for a meal for our anniversary and what a brilliant place. With disabled parking right outside the door, ramps into the pub and restaurant and a great attitude from the staff, we had a relaxing and very enjoyable meal out.
Lastly, have you visited Twin Lakes near Melton Mowbray? We went along one day and hardly saw the children at all as there was so much to entertain them. There are animals to look at, feed and hold, indoor ballparks and bouncy castles as well as, zip-wires, go-karting, rides and boats. With plenty of places to eat and drink, you can easily spend several hours here without the children, grandchildren or adults getting bored. Also at Twin Lakes is Phoenix Falconry who I have used for Sportability events. This Centre has two falconry shows a day, well worth seeing.
Jane
The supermarket collection which took place in July at Sainsburys Grove Park raised £800.00. Thank you so much to everyone who took part.
Many thanks to Alliance Pharmacy in Barrow on Soar, they collected £46.17 in a counter tin. This got me thinking, do you have a local shop where you could leave an MS counter tin?
Peter Le Marchant Boat trip
Once again, 25 of us had a very enjoyable trip on ‘Symphony’. God must have been smiling on us that day as the weather was glorious (the next morning the heavens opened)! This year we went in the other direction through Loughborough, which looks so different from the river. We moored at the Plough at Normanton on Soar, where some of us had a meal and others a picnic. We then turned around and wended our way back past swans, ducks, moorhens and coots, through the locks arriving back at Beeches Road at about 3pm. A thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable summer day out.
Jane
REMINDER **********REMINDER
Frank needs help once again with two more supermarket collections. On Saturday and Sunday 21 and 22 October we are ‘shaking a bucket’ outside Sainsburys in Oadby.
Then there is another collection outside Asda at Oadby on Friday and Saturday 1 and 2 December.
Any help you could spare would be gratefully received.
I know that Christmas comes around far too soon every year but I thought I would mention that both the MS Society (0870 112 5382 www.msshop.co.uk) and MS Trust (0845 051 1280 www.mstrust.org.uk/christmas) have their Christmas 2006 card collection available now. If you find it difficult to write your cards why not have them pre-printed with your message and name. Don’t forget that every order makes money for these charities.
Home Fire Safety Check
Did you know that Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service will carry out free home fire safety checks and fit smoke detectors if necessary, for people over 60, a single parent or disabled. To arrange a home fire safety check please phone;
Information Services (general enquiries):
Tel: 0116 287 2241 Fax: 0116 231 1180
Email:
CHRISTMAS CARDS
There is a list of folks I know
All written in a book,
And every year at Christmas time,
I go and take a look.
And that is when I realize
That these names are a part
Not of the book they’re written in
But of my very heart.
For once you’ve known someone
The years cannot erase,
The memory of a pleasant word
Or of a friendly face.
So never think my Christmas cards
Are just a mere routine,
Of names upon a list
Forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas card
That is addressed to you,
It is because you’re on that list
Of folks I’m indebted to.
And whether I’ve known you
For many years or few,
In some way you have had a part
Of shaping things I do.
So every year when Christmas comes
I just realize anew,
The biggest gift that God can give
Is knowing folks like you.
British Red Cross
Disabled Living Centre
This organisation provides impartial information, advice and practical demonstrations of equipment for people with disabilities and has now relocated to:
Aquis House
211 Belgrave Gate
Leicester
LE1 3HT
Telephone 0845 3730217
Fax 0845 3730218
Opening times
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 4.15pm
If you require assistance or want to arrange to meet your Social Services Occupational Therapist here, please ring for an appointment. There is parking available for about three cars.
NB. Patricia Chapman will be coming to the drop-in on 31 October to give us a talk and show us some useful aids to make our lives easier.
DIRECT PAYMENTS
My husband Pete and I started the process earlier this year and we found it extremely easy with great support from a lovely lady from Leicestershire Social Services Direct Payment Support Service.
Pete, who is a MS sufferer, is chair bound now and spends all his life at home and goes out only when I can take him. I work part time (24 hrs per week) and it was becoming increasingly more stressful for both of us using care services via an agency. Our lives, such were ruled by when care came, often at a time to suit them, with some carers who couldn't care less. When everynew person arrived it was very tiring andexhausting for Pete spendingtime having to go through all the routine over and over again. We could not change the times to fit in with ourselves, say we wanted to go out or had been asked out; the times were fixed to suit the care agency.
Direct Payments was introduced to us by our social worker who set the hours we could have (23.75 per week) and we started the process in February/March, it was made very easy for us, we had a couple of home visits and discussedthe job description and the advert. Everything is done for you by SS they put the advert in the papers and they receive the applications calls and send out the application forms. Wewere then sent the completed application forms and chose who we wished to interview which we could do at home. They give youas much supportand freedom as you want during the whole process.
We were very lucky we found a local lady whohas made such a difference to our lives. She comes at times to suit us on aday byday basis and she does housework, cooking etc.apart from all of Pete's personalneeds. We were given 5/6 hours a week for Pete's social needs andour social worker wrote to the Motability insurance company and they changed thepolicy to an 'open' one, this allows our carer to drive Pete out and about, cinema, shopping, pubs anything he wants to do, while I have a few hours to myself every week. There is no restriction on when andwhat you use the hours allocated for. They paya very goodrate (£7.58) and alsopay a retainer at full pay for whenever Pete is in respite or hospital, so you can keep your carer.
You are the employer and you have to pay their wages and the tax and national insurance once a month, again, this is also made very simple they send you a pay slipevery four weeks anda summary sheetto show how much you need to pay the HM Customs and your carer. So, from writing two cheques a month and completing a quarterly return for County Hall this is all that isinvolved. They pay for liability insurance and uniforms and moving and handling courses if you want them.
When I say it has changed ourlives, it truly hasbrought our lives back,we arrange our carer around what we want to do, as we never know how Pete will feel day to day, so at short notice she is always happy to help us when we need it most, and gives me a great feeling of security when I am away from home.
The system works well but it does rely on you getting the right person, but when you do I would encourage everyone to do it.
Judy and Pete Tattersall
The Great North Run
Judy and Pete’s daughter, Lucy, is entering the Great North Run this October, which she has been in training for since last November. She wants to make the run in support of the Leicester MS Group. If you would like to pledge your support by sponsoring Lucy, please get in touch by phone or post to:
4 Buckwell Road, Sapcote, Leics. LE9 4FD
phone 01455 271530.
Christmas 2006
This years’ Christmas lunch is to be held on Tuesday 12 December.
At: The Queen Victoria
Old Gym Restaurant
High Street
Syston
2 courses £10.95 3 courses £14.95
Deposits of £5.00 per person required by 17 October 2006
MS Society Publications
Ø What is MS?
Ø Just diagnosed – an introduction to MS
Ø Relapsing remitting MS
Ø Secondary Progressive MS
Ø Primary Progressive MS
Ø Managing relapses: MS Essentials 01
Ø Memory and thinking: MS Essentials 02
Ø MS and Insurance: MS Essentials 03
Ø Tremor and MS: MS Essentials 04
Ø Vision and MS: MS Essentials 05
Ø Disease modifying drugs: MS Essentials 06
Ø Managing bladder problems: MS Essentials 07
Ø Getting the best from Social Services: MS Essentials 08
Ø Benefits and MS: MS Essentials 09
Ø Mood, depression and emotions: MS Essentials 10
Ø Diet and nutrition: MS Essentials 11
Ø Sex, intimacy and relationships: MS Essentials 12
Ø Claiming disability living allowance: MS Essentials 13
Ø Fatigue: MS Essentials 14
Ø Women’s issues – pregnancy, menstruation, contraception and menopause: MS Essentials 15
Ø Support for people severely affected by MS: MS Essentials 16
Ø Pain and sensory symptoms: MS Essentials 17
Ø Complementary and alternative medicine: MS Essentials 18
Ø Muscle spasms and stiffness: MS Essentials 19
Ø Speech and swallowing difficulties
Ø MS and managing bowel problems
Ø My Mum’s got MS
Ø MS explained for teenagers
Ø Assistance card
Ø Help card
Ø Personal details for admission to hospital
Ø Getting the best from social services in Scotland
Ø Working with MS
Ø Keeping active when you have MS
Ø All in the genes
Ø Research Matters
Ø Stem cell potential
Ø Your local branch
Ø Making a difference locally
Ø Information you can trust
If you are interested in any of the above publications or would like more information about them, please ask a member of the branch committee. We can either provide them for you directly or give you a publications brochure, which gives more detailed information about the leaflets and a form for you to place an order at your own discretion. All of the above publications are available free of charge.
Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband.
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A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver's license. First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test. The optician showed him a card
with the letters: 'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'
"Can you read this?" the optician asked.
"Read it?" the Polish guy replied, "I know the guy."
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Home is the place where we’re treated best and grumble most
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Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often
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My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance
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A Prayer for the Stressed
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I cannot accept
The wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill today because they got on my nerves and also help me to be careful of the toes I tread on today as they may be connected to the feet I may have to kiss tomorrow.
Help me to always give 100% at work
12% on Monday
23% on Tuesday